Howdy, Cousin!

According to CNN today, people in China are now able to buy access to genetic testing that would tell them if they are descended of 5th Century B.C . social philosopher Confucious.

I can save them their money.

If Steve Olson, author of Mapping Human History, is correct in the research he has assembled and detailed, we can all empirically trace a common genetic ancestor within 1,600 years of human history.

That's right: the genetic record shows that all humans walking the earth today must have some common ancestor within 1,600 years, and in many cases, less time than that (for example, people descended from the same country of origin are more likely to show less idiosyncratic genetic variation, and so will likely have more recent common ancestry).

It is therefore a mathematical certainty that not only all living Chinese, but all living people, share some degree of genetic descendence from Confucious, and anyone else who lived more than 1,600 years ago.

The genetic test in China costs about 1,000 yuan or about $125.oo US. Copies of Olson's book now sell at Amazon for under $5 new and used.

Do I know how to find you a deal or what? Oh, and one more thing:

Howdy, cousin!